Self Represents

Production Company

Forest Of Black

In an event as rare and unexpected as an earthquake in Cowdenbeath, Scotland's famously miserablist indie&nbsp;band Arab Strap have made a horror comedy inspired by 1980s werewolf movies - courtesy of director David Arthur.&nbsp;The promo for Strawberry Moon also&nbsp;brings the band's two members&nbsp;to the screen in a music video for the first time in 20 years:&nbsp;Aidan Moffatt as a troubled priest and Malcolm Middleton as a crazed werewolf on the loose in Glasgow.Much of the action takes place in a nightclub exclusively for members of the Church, where Moffatt encounters a sexy nun, other boozed-up priests and Middleton transforms into the&nbsp;beast, leading to a final showdown in a hillside Glasgow graveyard. Prepare for some divine clergy dance moves, mobility scooting, holy water pistols and the patented ginger werewolf POV cam.All of the small budget is there on screen, with a sizeable cast of extras, great locations, costumes and scooter, and excellent werewolf make-up design by the SFX make-up artist&nbsp;Karen J Shields.&nbsp;And Arthur maintains a strong narrative grip throughout, greatly abetted by the natural on-screen&nbsp;charisma of the two bandmembers, particularly Moffatt.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;“I am a big Arab Strap fan from way back, so when I was asked to pitch on this it was a very exciting prospect," says Arthur.&nbsp;"Listening to the song with its growling bass hook and lyrical references to the moon and sin made me imagine Aidan as a priest hunting down a werewolf, played by Malcolm… I think the band were tickled by this idea too, and talking to them I realised they were really up for making something fun. So we really went for it.“It was a challenging shoot because of the ambition of creating this world of a wayward priest drawn to the temptations of city nightlife, along with a parallel story of a mysterious ginger werewolf killing off clergy, and leading to a showdown in a graveyard at night.“Aidan and Malcolm were both a joy to work with and they really went with the madness of this, and our cinematographer Darren Hercher worked fast with a small camera and lighting setup,&nbsp;whilst still making it look brooding and cinematic."I called in major favours from my favourite post-house Blazing Griffin and colourist Taryn Calverey and sound mixer Scott Patterson really took the picture and sound to the next level. For eagle-eyed&nbsp;80s&nbsp;movie fans there are several references to classic films I loved as a kid like&nbsp;An American Werewolf in London&nbsp;and&nbsp;Teen Wolf.”

Maeve Mulgrew

David Arthur

Josefin Bagge

Darren Hercher

Myles Docherty

Karen J Shields

Taryn Calverey

Blazing Griffin

Ciaran Lyons

Martin Docherty

Rock Action

Arab Strap 'Strawberry Moon' by David Arthur

Arab-Strap-'Strawberry-Moon'-by-David-Arthur

Tony Curran plays a taxi driver remembering the love of his life in Michael Sherrington's wistful promo for The Snuts.&nbsp;Sitting in his taxi, a lifetime of memories play out on the backseat, giving viewers an emotive peek into the main character's past life.&nbsp;Curran&nbsp;(Mayflies, Mary &amp; George) gives a&nbsp;nuanced performance as a person dealing with the passing of his wife, while Sherrington's direction allows the narrative to develop to produce&nbsp;something very moving.“Grief can be so traumatic," says the director.&nbsp;"In my personal experience of loss I have been struck by the complexity of the emotional journey.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;"At times I have found it better to face this path head on rather than locking these feelings away. So when the band approached me with this track and we discussed its themes I was interested in creating a film that explored this difficult subject."It was great collaborating with Tony on this challenging and sensitive subject matter; he is such an incredible talent. He really embraced the role and was totally committed to exploring this journey with me.”Elevated by&nbsp;Jamie Quantrill's striking cinematography, it's a must watch. Just make sure you have the tissues ready.&nbsp;&nbsp;

United Kingdom

Amanda Blackwood

Michael Sherrington

Jamie Quantrill

Jack Cowhig

Keir O'donnell

Madeleine Drewell

Tony Curran

Happy Artist Records

Indie

Rock

The Snuts 'Circles' by Michael Sherrington

The Snuts - Circles (Official Video)

AINS directs a visceral dance performance promo for Arab Strap, featuring dancer Molly Scott Danter.The intense, stripped-back promo for Bliss opens with Danter frozen in a torturously uncomfortable position, before delivering&nbsp;an arresting performance of contorted choreography, which feels dreamlike or even nightmarish at times - and made more jarring by the location, in front of a window looking out on a nighttime cityscape.The stirring concept to accompany the characteristically dark storytelling of Arab Strap's lyricist Aiden Moffatt,&nbsp;is elevated by Sean McDonald's&nbsp;cinematography, which employs slow shutter speeds to create haunting movement trails and strobe&nbsp;lights to disorientate the viewer.&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1]“In crafting the video, I envisaged a journey through a stark, surreal world that mirrors the haunting intensity of the song," explains director AINS.&nbsp;"From the very start, our dancer Molly personifies a character trapped in a dystopian realm, serving as a metaphor for life's relentless and often unfathomable challenges."Her dance is not just a performance; it’s a visceral battle for survival in a world plagued by obscure judgements and unspoken rules.[imgtoken data:2]"The visual style of the video resonates with this narrative. We played with lighting – transitioning from stark whites to deep blues and oranges – and purposefully exposed the set's raw structure, including the circular camera track, to create a surreal and almost claustrophobic atmosphere. My goal was to utilise these elements, combined with techniques like motion blur and layered visuals, to craft an immersive, disorienting viewer experience."A huge shout-out goes to Arab Strap, my incredible crew, and specifically to Molly, whose powerful performance is the heartbeat of this project.”

Molly Scott Danter

AINS

Beth Allan

Sean Mcdonald

Sean Walls

Mike Edwards

Jack Webb

M V Brown

Alternative

Arab Strap 'Bliss' by AINS

Arab-Strap-'Bliss'-by-Ains

Oscar Sansom directs an intensely atmospheric visual for&nbsp;Scottish Ensemble's performance of Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony, reimagining&nbsp;how classical performance can be portrayed on screen.Following the recent collaboration between the orchestra and Glasgow-based production company Forest Of Black with the <a href="https://www.promonews.tv/videos/2024/01/18/anna-meredith-scottish-ensemble-tull-ains/84728" target="_blank">AINS-directed video for Anna Meredith's composition Tull</a>, Sansom brings a real cinematic sensibility to the way he captures the musicians performing the music.[imgtoken data:1]The dynamic camerawork and editing emphasises&nbsp;their physicality - illuminated by atmospheric shafts of light within a centuries-old house - and building a sense of drama in keeping with the mood and tempo of the music.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony has so much tension in it that my initial instinct was to create a dramatic narrative scene, acting out a visualisation of the sonic drama," says Sansom. "The more I thought about it though, I began to wonder if we could evoke the same sense of visual drama and tension from a musician’s performance.[imgtoken data:2]"I was definitely thinking of horror films like Susperia, Possession and The Shining in the early stages. I was thinking of how they build visual tension and I was interested in what it would feel like to capture a musical performance using the approach of an action sequence like a chase or fight scene. I liked the idea of musicians brandishing their instruments like weapons.”

Oscar Sansom

David Liddell

Nico Biarese

Nathan Pearson

Mia Beck Currie

Classical

Scottish Ensemble 'Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony In C Minor, Op. 110a (excerpt)' by Oscar Sansom

Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony  in C minor, Op. 110a (excerpt) | Scottish Ensemble

Glasgow-based director AINS takes an inventive and fun approach to a performance of modern classical artist and composer Anna Meredith's dramatic piece TULL by the Scottish Ensemble - using the highly graphic device of arranging the orchestra members on pink-coloured plinths, in endlessly changing arrangements.From a locked-off camera the players and plinths appear and disappear in different parts of the frame, in different sizes. The effect is an engrossing watch, a form of live action animation at human size - mostly, if not all, created in-camera -&nbsp;that draws you into the music and the performance.&nbsp;Meredith's music has previously inspired creative visual interpretations from the likes of Simon Owens and Ewan Jones Morris. And this video fits well into that body of work -&nbsp;a strongly&nbsp;graphic, quirky&nbsp;idea that was a quietly heroic feat in its execution."Directing a music video for a classical ensemble, a shift from my usual genre, was an exciting new adventure for me, and I loved every bit of the process," says AINS, who has also directed&nbsp;music videos for singer-songwriter Be Charlotte and HYYTS, credited as Ainsley Bowman.&nbsp;"A unique aspect on set was having a live conductor for playback – definitely a first in my book!"The inspiration for this project came directly from the music, which is bursting with lively, spontaneous energy. My goal was to visually echo this vibrancy, transforming the sound into an unexpected visual narrative. We began with a minimalistic approach and gradually ramped up the visuals to match the track's growing intensity."My aim was to bring the plinths to life by shooting everything in-camera, giving them a personality that's almost human, reminiscent of stop motion. This required meticulous planning for positioning the plinths and some serious heavy lifting – it was all hands on deck for this one!"I'm immensely grateful for the dedication and hard work from everyone involved. A huge shoutout to the artists, the Scottish Ensemble team, and our incredible crew for going the extra mile."

Scott Mcintyre

Modern Composition

Anna Meredith & Scottish Ensemble 'Tull' by AINS

Anna-Meredith-&-Scottish-Ensemble-'Tull'-by-Ains

Kieran Howe directs gripping&nbsp;video for Scottish indie-folk outfit&nbsp;Gentle Sinners, where a man falls into a place where painful memories come flooding back.Flipping from realism to a supernatural dark space, and introducing some striking visual edits, Howe marshals his resources to create a distinctive nightmare world, as experienced by his main character&nbsp;played by Evans Khumalo. He delivers an impressive performance&nbsp;of a man who is being confronted by his past, and desperately seeking the exit door to his torment.It's a powerful accompaniment to Landfill, a gritty song by this 'supergroup' comprised of Aidan Moffett (of Arab Strap) and James Graham (The Twilight Sad).&nbsp;&nbsp;[imgtoken data:1] “The music is so full of sobering honesty, as a director I felt I couldn’t shy away from my innermost feelings," reveals Kieran Howe.&nbsp;"Hopefully we captured something that conveys how it feels to be in pain, and to be struggling with your mental health."In the same way that James and Aidan have inspired me to express these feelings, I hope this video might do the same for others. It’s been a thrill to work with them on this music video."

Kieran Howe

Tano Caruso

Jakub Sirkowski

Sil Derkx

Katherine Lennon

Evans Khumalo

Gentle Sinners 'Landfill' by Kieran Howe

Gentle-Sinners-'Landfill'-by-Kieran-Howe

Director Oscar Sansom delivers another striking visual work for Biffy Clyro,&nbsp;this time in the form of a ten-minute long concept encapsulating two tracks.&nbsp;The first segment of the video&nbsp;is a paint-drenched performance concept, featuring the group in an industrial warehouse, playing whilst kicking, throwing and splattering blue paint everywhere.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;The second part of the video takes a more abstract, surreal turn, narratively exploring a cult-like group in the forest, with glitchy vignettes of people running away, circling the group and the appearance of enigmatic black squares floating in the atmosphere.&nbsp;A regular collaborator with the band, Oscar has created a truly striking work here which features some incredible visual moments, intriguing storytelling, and explosive (and at times extremely&nbsp;messy) band performance.[imgtoken data:2]

Rasmus Rani

Annie Mitchell

Denise Coombes

Mia Currie

Jennifer Ivory

Warner Records

Biffy Clyro 'A Hunger In Your Haunt/Unknown Male 01' by Oscar Sansom

Biffy-Clyro-'A-Hunger-In-Your-Haunt-/-Unknown-Male-01'-by-Oscar-Sansom

Rose Hendry directs an enigmatic film for Arab Strap's Fable Of The Urban Fox.&nbsp;Starring actress Fiona O'Shaugnessy, the video opens&nbsp;with a moment of unhinged violence - the results of which are kept off-screen until the end - and charges into a frantic exploration of one woman's attempts to cover up her crimes... and forgive herself for her actions.&nbsp;Shot mostly from a single vantage point with a perpetually rotating camera, the video matches an unsettling serenity with a sense of danger and risk, creating a divergent, contradictory mood throughout.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Rose Hendry

Ian Forbes

Max Ferguson-Hook

Times Based Arts

Fiona O'Shaugnessy

Davide Scalenghe

Arab Strap 'Fable Of The Urban Fox' by Rose Hendry

Arab-Strap-'Fable-Of-The-Urban-Fox'-by-Rose-Hendry

Michael Sherrington continues his collaboration with The Snuts&nbsp;with&nbsp;this promo for latest track Glasgow.&nbsp;Presented as a love letter to the city, we see the band perform atop a rooftop location, bathed in the orange glow of a picture-perfect sunset.&nbsp;Escaping the stereotypical depictions of cold weather and rainy days, Sherrington's fondness of both the location and the artists is very much on display, and culminates in a colourful climax under the night sky.[imgtoken data:1]&nbsp;

Kier O'donell

Stewart Torley

Emma Leigh Porter

Kenni Campbell

Blair Young

Liv West

Parlophone Records

The Snuts 'Glasgow' by Michael Sherrington

The-Snuts-'Glasgow'-by-Michael-Sherrington

Oscar Sansom captures a Royal Blood performance for a US talk show, with the excellent staging&nbsp;of Trouble's Coming for&nbsp;The Late Late Show with James Corden.Boasting bold production design and a pronounced orange and blue colour palette, the curved lighting rigs and staging compliment the dynamic cinematography.&nbsp;The saturated aesthetic has an almost 80s neon feel, which matches the band's effortlessly cool performance.&nbsp;"I really wanted to show how incredible Royal Blood are live," states Sansom. "This was the first live performance the guys have done since the release of the new album (Typhoons) and so we wanted to make something really exciting visually,&nbsp;but it was also really important to me that we didn't distract the focus from the band's performance."&nbsp;

Amy James

Emma Greengrass

Marcus Domleo

Rory Moles

Henry Keep

James Tonkin

Hangman

Royal Blood 'Trouble's Coming' (for The Late Late Show) by Oscar Sansom

Royal-Blood-'Trouble's-Coming---The-Late-Late-Show'-by-Oscar-Sansom

Oscar Sansom directs a melancholic live promo for Liam Gallagher's All You're Dreaming Of.&nbsp;Shot for&nbsp;The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, the film sees the legendary ex-Oasis frontman perform at sunset on a barge, as it sails&nbsp;up the river Thames into central London.The stunning cinematography and&nbsp;dramatic location come together to form a truly unforgettable moment.Gallagher's vocal chops are as good as they've ever been, and the performance is nothing short of magical, exuding an understated energy and a slice of carefree nostalgia.&nbsp;"Working on this film with Liam has been one of those true once in a lifetime experiences," says&nbsp;Sansom. "The logistics of coordinating and undertaking the project has been extremely complicated but when it actually came to the moment of the performance starting, it felt kind of effortless."Liam is without doubt one of the greatest frontmen of our generation and we wanted to create something unforgettable for this show. I remember that moment going through the Thames Barrier at the start of the show and just thinking; this is going to be something really special..."

Sam Eldridge

Brett Turnbull

Tom McFarling

Ben Parish

Andrew Trewartha

Debbie Gwyther

Josh Spear

Curtis Dunne

Liam Gallagher 'All You’re Dreaming Of' (for The Tonight Show) by Oscar Sansom

Liam-Gallagher-'All-You’re-Dreaming-Of---The-Tonight-Show'-by-Oscar-Sansom

Oscar Sansom has collaborated with&nbsp;Brighton rockers Royal Blood on two performances for American talk shows and here's the first: a frenetic and striking version of their single Typhoons for ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live."Working with a band like Royal Blood is just a joy as a director," says Sansom, who has also created live music films for&nbsp;Biffy Clyro and Liam Gallagher."Mike and Ben are such incredible musicians and performers that they just blow me away every time we work together. It makes my job a lot easier and I am really just focussed on trying to find the best way to translate the energy of their live shows through the lens."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jack Gemmell

Samuel Harding

Johnny Gaskill

Royal Blood 'Typhoons' (for Jimmy Kimmel Live) by Oscar Sansom

Royal-Blood-'Typhoons---Jimmy-Kimmel-Live'-by-Oscar-Sansom

Michael Sherrington directs&nbsp;a live performance visual&nbsp;in solidarity with the music community, for The Snuts' new track Always.&nbsp;At the band's request, the video budget was spent on creating a live video for their official release - they&nbsp;felt it was important to not only support their crew, but highlight how vital live music and the respective venues are to our culture.&nbsp;Having collaborated on multiple live projects with this artist,&nbsp;Sherrington wanted to create a piece that&nbsp;elevates the emotion of the track through visual language and lighting. The resulting film more than hits the mark, with a punchy cinematic aesthetic and an intimate honesty and raw energy that viewers have come to expect from the group.&nbsp;“I've&nbsp;worked with the band on previous live projects - including a recent live stream captured in a tall ship on the river Clyde," says Sherrington.&nbsp;"It felt appropriate with the emotion and elegance of the track to move away from the rougher handheld approach, and allow for more fluidity in the study of the band's incredible live performance, and the space where music lives.”

Stylist: Francesca Costa

Kat Morgan

Olivia West

Sean Corbett

Indie Rock

The Snuts 'Always' by Michael Sherrington

The-Snuts-'Always'-by-Michael-Sherrington

Oscar Sansom has created an explosively creative, characteristically energetic video for Biffy Clyro’s Tiny Indoor Fireworks, a mix of live action performance shot during lockdown, and striking animation styles.Sansom's third promo for the band is somewhat different to previous collaborations for fairly obvious reasons, with him directing remotely and the band having to recruit their 'better halves' in helping to shoot the live action footage, using custom-made rigs designed for the project. And despite the domestic settings, the video skilfully brings the band together, captures the band's trademark energy as performers.Meanwhile, the dreamlike animated scenes - produced by The 2D Workshop - reference internal creative struggles, but with an optimistic sense of release that appears forward looking... ‘dreaming of better days’.[imgtoken data:1]

The 2D Workshop

Owen Rixon

Ross Hogg

Warner Music

Biffy Clyro 'Tiny Indoor Fireworks' by Oscar Sansom

Biffy-Clyro-'Tiny-Indoor-Fireworks'-by-Oscar-Sansom

Be Charlotte shows off her dance skills in Ainsley Bowman's&nbsp;choreography-centric video for Lights Off.&nbsp;Utilising various practical lights and an army of dancers, the video is contemporary and glossy, with killer styling and a dramatic colour palette.&nbsp;

Hannah Currie

Luca Michelli

Marie Lidén

Jack Baxter

Sara Hill

Tamsyn Russell

Louie John Lewis

Sony Germany

Be Charlotte 'Lights Off' by Ainsley Bowman

Be-Charlotte-'Lights-Off'-by-Ainsley-Bowman

HYYTS have unusual emotional reactions in Ainsley Bowman's video for The Low Sound.&nbsp;Most of us wouldn't take pleasure in being drowned, kicked in the face or set on fire. This&nbsp;isn't the case on this occasion, where the Glaswegian duo totally subvert expectations, enjoying the painful side of life, whilst finding happiness a total drag.&nbsp;Bowman and DoP&nbsp;Steve Cardno creates an authentic world through docu-style cinematography, anchoring the concept in reality so as to not make it seem farfetched in any way. The pair's performance is also top-notch, and you have to applaud them for getting through it with a smile on their faces... or perhaps they are just too used to smiling in painful situations.&nbsp;

Steve Cardno

Bartek Kloc

Stuart Anderson

Dom Mckiernan

Warner Music UK

HYYTS 'The Low Sound' by Ainsley Bowman

Hyyts-'The-Low-Sound'-by-Ainsley-Bowman

Following the brilliant video for&nbsp;Born Cold - nominated for best video at the Heavy Music Awards 2020&nbsp;-&nbsp;director Oscar Sansom returns to direct Cyanide, the second instalment in&nbsp;a trilogy of videos for Creeper.&nbsp;This promo for Cyanide&nbsp;delivers a captivating performance for the TV cameras from the band, with frontman Will Gould's rock 'n roll star persona on full display,&nbsp;while the video also hints at other&nbsp;aspects of the album's narrative.DP&nbsp;David Liddell contrasts the almost clinical lighting of the band performance with a more subdued setup backstage, creating a&nbsp;striking juxtaposition, whilst utilising plenty of camera movement to reflect the hyperactive energy of Gould's performance.

Alice Walker

Ainslie Currie

Charlotte Clutterbuck

Danny Corr

Roadrunner Records

Creeper 'Cyanide' by Oscar Sansom

Creeper-'Cyanide'-by-Oscar-Sansom

Be Charlotte performs across a series&nbsp;of distinctive portrait-style set-ups&nbsp;in Ainsley Bowman's charming video for Rumours Don't Work.&nbsp;Colourful and hypnotic, Be Charlotte - real name: Charlotte Brimner - thrives as she plays a series of roles that fit her vibrant surroundings, throwing herself head-first into a handful of eccentric characters. The various props and decoration are extensions of the artist's&nbsp;carefree and excitable energy, as well as being crucial to the clever compositions,&nbsp;and match the upbeat track perfectly.&nbsp;Ainsley Bowman's team have excelled in making this into a visually striking video, particularly&nbsp;the art direction by&nbsp;Marie Lidén, and glamourous styling by&nbsp;Amanda Blackwood, while DoP&nbsp;Steve Cardino utilises an abundance of soft lighting throughout, creating a glossy and charming aesthetic.

Steven Cook

Jenna Clayton

Louise John Lowis

Sony Music Germany

Be Charlotte 'Rumours Don't Work' by Ainsley Bowman

Be-Charlotte-'Rumours-Don&#039;t-Work'-by-Ainsley-Bowman

Oscar Sansom releases the first video from his collaboration with Creeper for&nbsp;theatrical nightmare Born Cold.Blending elements of theatre and performance with cinematic vignettes, the visual is an introduction to a new era for the group, and&nbsp;to a darker set of characters and themes. Thematically borrowing elements from dystopian fiction, glam rock and iconic videos in the genre, it's a visual feast that promises to expand and deliver even wilder imagery in the chapters that follow.&nbsp;

Steve Arthur

Amp; Ainslie Currie

Kenny Gibb

Creep Post

Alternative Rock

Creeper 'Born Cold' by Oscar Sansom

Creeper-'Born-Cold'-by-Oscar-Sansom

Ainsley Bowman's video for Glasgow band The Ninth Wave,&nbsp;shot in an old shipbuilding warehouse in the artist’s hometown, is a&nbsp; dark and surreal visual that places the artists centre stage as they slowly entangle themselves with rope.

Nicki Reilly

Leon Brehony

Cara Roxburgh

Debbie Black

The Ninth Wave

Distiller Records

The Ninth Wave 'Human Behaviour' by Ainsley Bowman

This superb film for Scottish Ballet, with music by Callum Easter, uses movement and film editing to explore the fluidity of gender roles.And by framing Myles Thatcher's choreography among the monolithic concrete pillars underpinning Glasgow's motorway flyovers, director Eve McConnachie thrillingly presents contemporary dance within an everyday urban landscape.

Eve Mcconnachie

Tony Currie

Paul Forest

Fergus Cruickshank

I'll Be Your Mirror

Lost Map Records

Martin Newstead

Callum Easter 'Make A Move (Frontiers)' by Eve McConnachie

Calum-Easter-'Make-A-Move-(frontiers)'-by-Eve-Mcconnachie

Oscar Sansom unleashes a world of colour with this quirky modern take on the man with the Midas touch for One Bit and Louisa Johnson&#39;s Between You And Me.

Forest Of Black

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